Department of Biology

Graduate Research in Biology

The Department of Biology provides expertise in many areas of the biological sciences ranging from the molecular to the ecosystem. Although individual faculty members differ in their areas of interest, all recognize the constant changes occurring in the understanding of biological processes and the increasingly integrative nature of the sciences. The Master's degree program at Fresno State seeks to capture the dynamic character of the biological sciences through a combination of courses and a research-based thesis. Graduate students in the Master's program select a thesis adviser primarily based on common interests. The thesis, however, represents the unique research interests of each student as guided by the research adviser and thesis committee.

Faculty within the Biology Department address a wide range of questions spanning from the cellular/molecular level to the organismal/ecosystem level. Please contact individual faculty members directly for more information about their research programs and lab availability.

Prospective masters students are required to have contacted and have mentoring support from one of the faculty mentors below BEFORE they are accepted to the program.

Biology Faculty Research Projects and Lab Availability


Faculty	Research Discipline	Accepting MS Graduate Students	Possible Start Dates	Number of Openings	Project Descriptions	Lab Website or Google Scholar Profile
Dr. Francine Arroyo		No	N/A	0	Examining evolutionary trade-ups and trade-offs against antimicrobial resistance. Projects include (1) characterizing novel phenotypes that impact biofilm, motility and efflux pumps, (2) comparing antibiotic resistance evolution between non-pathogens and pathogens.	https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ecG7OEMAAAAJ&hl=en
Dr. Alejandro Calderon-Urrea	Molecular, Cellular and Genetic Systems; Physiological, Behavioral and Developmental Systems	No	N/A	0	Not accepting graduate students.	https://calderonurrealab.wixsite.com/acu-lab
Dr. Karine Gousset	Molecular, Cellular and Genetic Systems	Yes	Spring '27 Fall '27	1-2	Host-pathogen interactions and viral pathogenesis from the perspective of a cell and molecular biologist. More specifically, the focus of my laboratory is on the role of tunneling nanotubes, a novel mechanism of functional connectivity between cells, in the spreading of viruses, misfolded protein aggregates (leading to neurodegenerative diseases), well as the role they may play in the proliferation and persistence of cancer.	https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=SXD_4vMAAAAJ&hl=en
Dr. Alexandria Hansen	Biology Education	Yes	Spring '27 Fall '27	1-2	Project 1: Mobile Making afterschool STEM project with Fresno Unified School District (FUSD). Dr. Hansen has created an afterschool STEM program for FUSD youth in grades 4-6. Fresno State students enrolled in Service-Learning classes visit school sites 5x each semester to facilitate a creative STEM activity that allows youth to make something (i.e., balloon race cars, light-up greeting cards, robots). Research investigates the impact of this experience on both the FUSD youth and Fresno State student facilitators through quantitative (surveys) and qualitative (e.g., observatons, student projects) data. Interested students can assist with the ongoing data collection/analysis and/or assist in developing creative STEM activities for youth. This project is funded by the National Science Foundation; some funding is available for student research assistants. Project 2: 3D-printing & Fabrication. This project seeks to explore ways that technology and fabrication equipment (i.e., 3D-printing) can be used to enhance life science education acros K-16+. For example, a student might prototype 3D-printing of differnet joints in the human body for use in educational spaces. While there is no funding available for this project, access to fabrication equipment will be provided. Previous experience working with fabrication equipment is preferred, but not required.	https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=YNUAsakAAAAJ
Dr. Cynthia Hsu		Yes	Fall '27	1-2	Drosophila as a model for depression genetics and environmental influences on sleep drive.	https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=8Jl7ix0AAAAJ&hl=en
Dr. David Lent	Molecular, Cellular and Genetic Systems; Physiological, Behavioral and Developmental Systems	Yes	Spr '27 Fall '27 Spr '28	1-2	1.Studying neurodegenerative diseases in Drosophila melanogaster models 2.Navigational behaviors of the Western Harvester Ant, 3. Computational modeling of sensory, learning and memory systems in navigating insects, 4. Pollinator Health, 5. Spotted-Wing Drosophila Repellent Development	https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=-RrGuhMAAAAJ
Dr. Alija Mujic	Environmental, Evolutionary and Ecological Systems; Molecular, Cellular and Genetics Systems	Yes	Spr '27 Fall '27 Spr '28	2	Available project #1: fungal ecology of oaks ecosystems in the Sierra Nevada foothills and Mountain. Available project #2: Secondary metabolism of antibiotic producing fungi. Available project #3: Edible truffle cultivation in California pecan orchards (pilot studies), Available project #4: microbial ecology and functional genomics of wetland restoration	https://sites.google.com/mail.fresnostate.edu/mujic-mycology-lab
Dr. Ulrike Müller	Physiological, Behavioral and Developmental Systems	Yes	Spr '27 Fall '27 Spr '28	1-2	Predator-prey interactions in carnovorous plants (bladderworts), equity issues and science communication issues	https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=NcXqEk4AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao
Dr. Larry Riley		No	N/A	0	Not accepting graduate students.
Dr. Joseph Ross	Molecular, Cellular and Genetic Systems; Environmental, Evolutionary and Ecological Systems	Yes	Fall '27	1	1. Genetics of incompatibilities in hybrid offspring (using worm models), 2. Measuring chromosomal nondisjunction and its effects on offspring, 3. Dynamics of abnormal mitochondrial inheritance in hybrids	https://zimmer.fresnostate.edu/~jross/
Dr. Justin Shaffer		Yes	Fall '27 Spr '28	1-2	Our research surrounds the functional ecology of host-microbe interactions. We focus on understanding the mechanisms underlying microbial symbiosis and function in plant and human hosts. We employ a multi-omics approach including culture techniques, microscopy and imaging, metabolomics, and microbiome sequencing to reveal how bacteria, archaea, and especially fungi influence host health and sustainability.	https://justinshafferbio.wordpress.com
Dr. Hyunjin Shim		Yes	Spr '27	1	Process long-read sequencing datasets using bioinformatics tools. Experience in programming is required (Python or R) and experience in sequencing data is preferred.	https://www.shimlab.net
Dr. Joel Slade	Environmental, Evolutionary and Ecological Systems; Physiological, Behavioral and Developmental Systems; Molecular, Cellular and Genetic Systems	Yes	Spr '27 Fall '27 Spr '28	2	Wildlife ecology; Effect of urbanization on overwintering songbirds; ectoparasite-host interactions in songbirds	https://www.sladelab.com
Dr. Brian Tsukimura	Environmental, Evolutionary and Ecological Systems; Physiological, Behavioral and Developmental Systems	Yes	Spr '27 Fall '27 Spr '28	1-2	1) Thermal stress effects on reproduction using intertidal organisms, through snRNA-seq 2) mosquito resistance to pesticides, potentially on larval stages	https://tsukimuralab.netlify.app/
Dr. Emily Walter	Biology Education	Yes	Spr '27 Fall '27 Spr '28	2	Our lab studies college science teaching and learning, biology and society, and factors that influence student success in the sciences. We are especially interested in how people understand biology, whose knowledge is recognized in science. and how biological ideas influence (and are influenced by) society. Current projects explore: Active, student-centered and creative approaches to teaching biology Connections among biology, culture, identity, and society The use of Native American and other cultural stories to teach biological concepts How misinformation and disinformation affect public understanding of biology Ways to help students evaluate biological claims and evidence Strategies that improve students’ understanding, confidence, and sense of belonging Approaches that support diversity, equity and inclusion in biology Most of our research examines interventions in college and university classrooms (Grades 13+). We study how different teaching approaches affect students’ learning, experiences, and relationships with science. Former lab members have continued into Ph.D. programs, tenure-track community-college teaching positions, well-paid middle- and high-school science teaching positions, industry, and professional programs in medicine and physician-assistant studies.	www.walterresearchgroup.com
Dr. Katherine Waselkov	Environmental, Evolutionary and Ecological Systems; Molecular, Cellular and Genetic Systems	Yes	Fall '27 Spr '28	1	Plant evolution, plant taxonomy, population genetics/genomics, phylogenetics, and natural history collection curation. Positions are available in floristics and herbarium curation. Grant funding may be available for grad students, in addition to tuition waivers and additional financial support available upon application.	https://waselkovlab.com/
Dr. Hwan Youn	Molecular, Cellular and Genetic Systems	Yes	Fall '27 Spr '28	1-2	1. Engineering CRP to bind to the DNA target of CooA. 2. Creation of constitutively active CRP mutants (CRP*).	https://csm.fresnostate.edu/about/directory/biology/youn-hwan.html

Other Faculty Research Projects and Lab Availability


Faculty	Department	Accepting MS Biology Graduate Students	Possible Start Dates	Number of Openings	Project Descriptions	Lab Website or Google Scholar Profile
Dr. Cory Brooks	Chemistry & Biochemistry	It Depends	Fall '27 Spr '28	1	Antibody engineering for novel cancer therapeutics. This project investigates antibody binding to MUC16 and aims to develop bispecific antibodies against cancer targets to overcome a shed antigen sink in pancreatic cancer.	https://clbrooks.wixsite.com/brooks-lab
Dr. Laurent Dejean	Chemistry & Biochemistry	It Depends	Spr '27 Fall '27 Spr '28	1	Study of the regulation of fuel metabolism by Bcl-2 family proteins using the yeast S. cerevisiae. This project consists in studying the effects of the heterologous expression of human Bcl-2 family proteins genes on yeast glucose metabolism. A special emphasis will be put on the study Bcl-2 family proteins expression on the fermentative and oxidative component of yeast carbohydrate metabolism using 13C-NMR and respirometry based techniques.	https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=6Ba5a7YAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao

Our faculty have collaborated with researchers at a broad array of national and international universities and receive funding a range of federal (e.g., National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of Defense, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Environmental Protection Agency) and state agencies (e.g., California Fish and Game Department, California Agriculture and Technology Institute, California Department of Water Resources ) along with a range of industry groups.

Student completing the M.S. degree are prepared to a diverse array of career opportunities in the biological sciences including continuation to a Ph.D. degree. Training in the biological sciences provides opportunities in a range of employment sectors including government, industry, and education. Specific employment areas may include laboratory management, quality control, environmental management and conservation, the biotechnology industry, health care research, ecology, agricultural production and inspection, pest control, and marine sciences among others.